Chicken and Broccoli Bake

overhead shot of cheesy broccoli chicken bake with portion taken out

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5 from 1 vote

Cheesy chicken and broccoli underneath a crispy layer of bagel chips!

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Western

Servings: - 5

Author: Chris Collins

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Baking Tray (for broccoli)
Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
Jug (for milk/stock)
Cheese Grater
25cm x 17cm / 10" x 6.5" Baking Dish (or similar size)

Ingredients

350g / 12oz Broccoli Florets (see notes)
90g / 3oz Streaky Bacon, diced
600g / 1.3lb boneless skinless Chicken Thigh, diced into bite-sized pieces
45g / 1.5oz Unsalted Butter
45g / 1.5oz Plain Flour
480ml / 2 cups Milk, at room temp
120ml / 1/2 cup Vegetable Stock
2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Chives
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
pinch of Nutmeg (optional)
75g / 3/4 cup EACH: Cheddar, Gouda, grated
2 Bagels (see notes)
Olive Oil & Oil Spray, as needed
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C/390F.
On a large baking tray, toss the broccoli with a drizzle of olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until it begins to lightly char and soften (it will cook more later).
Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat add the bacon. Fry until crisp with the fat rendered down, then remove and place to one side, leaving the fat behind. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the chicken to the leftover fat (add a dash more oil if you need to). Season the chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, then fry until it builds up a golden crust and is just about cooked through (it will cook more later). Remove and place to one side.
Lower the heat back down to medium and melt in the butter. Stir in the flour to create a roux then gradually add in the milk and stock, whisking as you go to prevent lumps from forming. Stir in the mustard and chives, alongside a pinch of nutmeg and pepper (I don't typically add salt due to the bacon and stock). Bring to a gentle bubble, then turn off the heat and stir through the cheese. Once melted, stir through the broccoli, chicken and bacon. Pour into a 25cm x 17cm / 10" x 6.5" baking dish (or similar size) and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Slice the bagels in half, then slice into chips around 1/4" thick. Neatly layer them over the filling, closing as many gaps as possible. Liberally spray with oil then place in the oven for around 20 minutes, or until the bagel chips and deep golden and crispy with the filling bubbling around the edges. Rest for a couple of minutes then tuck in and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Broccoli - Just to confirm it's 350g/12oz broccoli florets, not the whole broccoli. I used a giant 500g/1lb head of broccoli which produced 350g/12oz florets.

b) Cheese - I like a mix of cheddar and gouda. I initially tried will all cheddar and found it slightly overbearing. The gouda mellows out the strong flavour and makes the sauce a little more creamy. You'll find gouda as a block in all supermarkets.

c) Salt - Go easy on the salt as the bacon and stock add enough already. If you're at all wary just ensure you're using unsalted butter and consider low-sodium stock.

d) Bagels - Regular bagels are fine. I've used sesame-seeded bagels which work perfectly too. For reference, each bagel is typically around 90-100g/3-3.5oz.

e) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4.

Nutrition